Dragon Knights Fan Fiction ❯ Rune's Quest for Peace ❯ Desperate Flight ( Chapter 2 )

Welcome to Chapter 2 of Rune's Quest for Peace. There are two other stories that follow this timeline, but from alternate points of view and along different paths. They are Rath's Quest for Demons and Thatz's Quest for Food. The style of each is different, but if you like this one, you may want to check them out. They will be updated in this order: Rune; Rath; Thatz;

Rune's Quest is the most wordy and the hardest to write for. Mostly because editing sucks so much of my energy. Anyway, enjoy.

The grassy path recoiled under Rune's foot and rebounded, springing him up into the air. The broken blades and trampled flowers left in his wake shook slightly in the breeze caused by his passing. He pumped his arms frantically, running like a demon to make the rendezvous. Running alone.

I can't believe that Rath and Thatz dumped me in it. They just waved as I sped off. They're not running as desperately as I am. They're not running at all.

His pounding pace faltered.

Why aren't they running?

He skidded to a halt, crumpling several daisies and a colony of marigolds. Rune turned then and peered back towards the pond, but the intervening foliage obscured his fellow Dragon Knights.

They said they were packed, but they'd no bags with them. Even if they're waiting in their rooms, they'd never pick them up and make it to the North Gate in only half an hour, it's too far.

He dithered, torn between nagging his friends and the growing sense of urgency. The deep sound of a tolling bell, reverberating through the gardens, interrupted him and focused his distracted state. He abandoned his fretting and fled back to the castle, crushing a delicate seedling and narrowly missing an oblivious snail. A vague mist arose in his trail, then settled, leaving a second dew on the ground.

Servants, dragon fighters and sight-seers, waved and leapt aside as he raced through the castle. While they wondered at the chill from the sudden sweat that dampened their clothing, Rune sped to his room. He wrenched the door open and fell inside, his eyes darting about the room, as he worked out what he'd need for the journey. He saw his cloth bag, pounced on it and jerked it open. He raided clean clothing from his wardrobe and tossed his hair-care products and other toiletries inside with it. At the top, in easy reach, he placed three books, the inspirations to the new, calmer, happier Rune. Transcendental Oneness and You!, Meditation in Three Easy Steps and Ease Stress with Pao Tzu. They were all well-thumbed, even though the pages were still freshly white.

Rune shouldered his heavy bag and ran out, without a backward glance. His lucky, silver go-go remained on his dresser, unregarded and forgotten, along with his toothbrush.

His pace slackened noticeably, under the stern heat of the sun, now almost directly over-head. He urged his weakened muscles to pull together, for just a little while longer and wobbled through the baking streets of the dusty town. The locals gave him a wide berth, staring curiously at this idiot, running pell-mell, under the midday heat. The noon bell rang out, while he had still a considerable distance to go. He spurred his flagging feet onwards, counting the number of steps to each clang, desperate to avoid the scorn of a Dragon Officer, especially one as uptight as Tetheus. He finally turned the corner to the North Gate approach and raised a weary hand of apology to the waiting group.

The tourists waved back.

He paused, the wind whipping his hair up into his face and the sweat draining down his back and into a nearby grate. His gaze swept the area. No sign of Rath, no view of Thatz and no sight of Tetheus.

The tourists called their friends over and more of their group waved to Rune.

Have they gone without me? Couldn't they have waited even five minutes? he thought, resting against a nearby wall. What'll the Dragonlord say? He slumped slightly as his agonised muscles called for a rest.

The tourists, now gesturing madly and with the whole group involved, called out to Rune. Curious, tired, disappointed and emotionally drained, he wandered dejectedly over to them.

"Hey there, son," said the largest and fattest of them, as he approached. "I'm glad you're finally here. We've been waiting at least an hour and our cases are heavy."
"I'm sorry?" exclaimed Rune, with a puzzled tone.
"That's okay, son," said the speaker. "I was just worried that we'd have to shunt them to the hotel, all by ourselves. I thought the carriage'd take us right up to the door, but Elsie, she said, "I don't think this looks like the Dragon's Head Inn. Where's the patio from the picture?" She's right of course. Notices more than my old eyes do." A petite and shrewish woman in the group blushed. Her clothing matched the garish colours of the group-leader. He clapped Rune on the back and continued his explanation. "I said that you'd be expecting us and that if we didn't show, you'd send someone to find us. I actually expected you to meet us, when the carriage came in, but I guess we were early or something." He spun Rune, presenting him to the group. "Now everyone ... ooh, what's your name, son?"
"Rune," said Rune.
"Everyone, this is our holiday representative, Rune. If you've any questions at all, don't be shy to ask him. He's a little fellow, so make sure you don't miss him." The group of roughly twenty people stared at Rune, committing his features to their memories.

"Holiday? Oh, no. I'm a Dragon Knight!" Rune said, spreading his hands and attempting to back away.

The tourist firmly grabbed him and displayed him proudly to his group again. "Hear that, everyone? We've got our own Dragon Knight taking care of us, for the holiday." He emphasised the words "Dragon Knight" and Rune's knees started to quiver.
"I really am," he said quietly and the leader patted him kindly and gave him a friendly wink.
"It's not far is it, son?" he asked. "Only Grandma can't carry her bags too far and she overpacked, as usual."
"It's not far," said Rune, without thinking. When he saw the light in their eyes spark up, he felt sorry for them. Poor things, it is their holiday, after all and it's not as if I've anything else to do. I might as well help them out. That's what a Dragon Knight is for, after all. "Hang on a second and put down your cases. I'll see what I can do."

He walked over to the stall of a nearby trader and asked her if he could borrow her produce cart.

"I'll bring it back quickly," he promised.
"No problem, Mr. Rune," she piped up. "Of course you can have it."

He thanked her kindly, grabbed the cart and steered it back to the Gate. The tourists smiled and piled all their baggage onto it. When it was full, Rune couldn't even see over the top. The leader put a final, heavy case on top, crushing several smaller ones and grinned broadly.

"We're all set now, son. Lead on."

Lead on? An overwhelmed Rune stared blankly at him. The over-weight sight-seer nodded towards the cart, when he made no move. Rune's shoulders dropped as he grasped the handles, strained against the weight and pushed the cart, muscles popping and legs complaining even harder than they had during his run. The swaying pile of luggage trundled slowly through the town, shedding small bags, hats and coats, which were quickly piled back on, by the children of the tourists. The group followed Rune's slow tread, in an elongated line that stretched all the way back to the Gate. Traffic paused as they passed, since they took up the entire road. Locals had to wait for them to wash past, rather like a herd of cattle on a rural road. The painful journey finally ended outside the Dragon's Head Inn, where the baggage, not expecting the sudden stop, gently tipped, then toppled over, onto the ground. The group-leader turned to Rune with pursed lips, when two brown-clad men ran out of the hotel.

"It's them!" one shouted into the inn. He then picked up some cases and rushed inside. His companion followed suit. While the group milled around outside, the stragglers catching up, a prosperous-looking man tumbled out, with a youthful companion dressed in a bright green jacket. The young man held a stick with a sign attached. As it twirled in his hand, Rune could read Guide on one side and Follow Me on the other. Both men visibly relaxed when they saw the group and strode up to Rune.

"You're the Vanhall group?" asked the older gentleman. At Mr. Vanhall's nod, he continued. "I'm the proprietor of the Dragon's Head Inn, Mr. Mackam. Please come inside and my staff will take your bags."

He led the group inside, his young friend smiling at the group and gesturing them inside. When the final few reached the door, he noticed Rune, slumped over the rapidly emptying cart and approached him.

"Sir, could you please enter with the rest of your group? We've a light lunch prepared."

Rune raised his head to protest, when the guide took a double take.

"Rune? Mr. Rune?" he exclaimed. He took a step towards the hotel and called "It's Mr. Rune!" to the people inside. He then turned to the exhausted Water Knight. "Thank you, Mr. Rune. Thank you for looking after them. We were really getting worried. It's our first package holiday," he blathered. "Please come inside and eat something, for your trouble. Let us look after you."

Rune stumbled inside, on the grateful guy's arm and sank into a comfortable armchair, from which he was toasted, wined and dined. He settled happily down with a glass of deep red and the warm knowledge that people are rewarded for their kind hearts.

"He's really a Dragon Knight? Quick, get someone to paint our picture with him. This is the best holiday ever."

There was supposed to be an implied continuity between these stories and Inside Tetheus's Head, but since I've just realised what the Knights are going to be sent off to do in that series, any continuity has gone out the window.

Whatever you think about this story, please review and let me know.